Mario Kart NX
|platforms=Nintendo Switch |media= |series=''Mario Kart'' series }} Mario Kart NX (Japanese: マリオカート﻿ＮＸ ) is the ninth main installment (twelfth overall) of the Mario Kart and the first to be released for the Nintendo Switch. Mario Kart NX is the follow-up to the 2014 Wii U title Mario Kart 8 and features many of the same elements, including the usage of ATV and bike vehicles, and the addition of gliding, underwater, and zero-gravity sections of certain courses. The game was developed by J-Games and Nintendo EPD, under direction of Kosuke Yabuki and Goro Abe. Gameplay Maintaining most elements from previous Mario Kart games, Mario Kart NX is a kart-racing video game with a heavy emphasis on using items to hinder opposing racers. Players pick a character, which is placed in one of six different weight classes that determine the base stats of the character's vehicle. Players are then able to mix-and-match different customization pieces in order to create their vehicle, which they will then use to race around various obstacle course-like racetracks in an attempt to place first out of fourteen other racers. Players receive different amounts of points depending on their position at the end of the race; with the winner of the Grand Prix determined by the one with the most points overall. During a race, racers can drive through Item Boxes to be granted an item through a roulette. As previously stated, these items are the main focus of a race, as using them may hinder other racers and/or aid the player. These items vary in usefulness depending on the distance from the current frontrunner; with racers closer to the frontrunner receiving less-powerful items (i.e. Banana Peels or Green Shells), while racers furthest from the frontrunner receiving the most powerful items in the game (i.e. Spiny Shell and Lightning). All four vehicle classes from Mario Kart 8 return in Mario Kart NX, these being the kart, inside-drifting bike, outside-drifting bike, and ATV. As with its prequel, the bikes of Mario Kart NX handle much differently from their Mario Kart Wii counterparts, instead handling very similarly to the karts and only performing wheelies - now purely aesthetic - when boosting. Though there is only one vehicle that is a part of it, Mario Kart NX also introduces the new Hovercraft vehicle class, which has incredibly high speed at the cost of very little acceleration and handling. Two new place standings, 13th and 14th was been added. Grand Prix Time Trial VS. Race Battle Mode Characters Playable Characters Not counting alternate colours for Yoshi and Shy Guy, there are a 44 characters playable in Mario Kart NX. With the exception of Baby Rosalina, Villager, and Isabelle, all characters return from Mario Kart 8. Five characters (Birdo, Diddy Kong, Honey Queen, King Boo, and Wiggler) return after being absent from the aforementioned game, and six more characters (Ashley, Goomba, Magikoopa, Nabbit, Pianta, and Sprixie Princess) make their debut as playable characters in the Mario Kart series. Mario Kart NX also marks the first time that Ashley (or any character from the WarioWare series) appears in a Mario sporting title. Through DLC, the roster was expanded to 57, with players getting new colour schemes for Toad should they purchase the first two DLC packs. The first DLC pack, Mario Kart NX × Splatoon brought back Bowser Jr., who was absent from Mario Kart 8, while introducing Splatoon's Callie and Marie as playable characters. The second DLC pack, Mario Kart NX × Pikmin introduced the main protagonist of the original Pikmin, Olimar, and Boo as playable characters, while also bringing back Funky Kong from Mario Kart Wii. Link, who previously appeared as a downloadable character for Mario Kart 8, was brought back as a playable character alongside the returning Dry Bones and newcomer Spike in the Mario Kart NX × The Legend of Zelda DLC pack. Pre-purchasing the latter two DLC packs also granted instant access to the Luma character and several recolours for it. Finally, the Mario Kart NX × Animal Crossing DLC pack introduced the Fighter Fly and Tom Nook as playable characters, while also bringing back Isabelle from Mario Kart 8. Alternate Costumes Unlock Criteria Of the 40 playable characters, 17 are hidden and must be unlocked before they can be chosen on the select screen. Weight Classes Characters are divided into three weight classes: Light, Medium, and Heavy. The weight classes are then further divided into Feather, Light, Intermediate, Medium, Cruiser, and Heavy. Miis are divided into a weight class depending on their height and weight. Vehicle Sizes Courses Mario Kart NX brings back the Super Mario Kart formula of having five courses per cup, making for a total of 40 courses across 8 cups. Cups are separated into the Nitro Circuit and Retro Circuit, with the Nitro Circuit including brand new tracks, while the Retro Circuit redesigning tracks from previous Mario Kart games. Four tracks return from ; three tracks return from , , and ; two tracks return from , , and ; and one track returns from . Items *Red Shell (single and triple) *Green Shell (single and triple) *Blue Spiny Shell *Banana (single and triple) *Bob-omb *Star *Bullet Bill *Blooper *Super Horn *Lightning *Potted Piranha Plant *Boomerang *Mushroom (single and triple) *Golden Mushroom *Fire Flower Vehicle Parts Downloadable Content Four downloadable content packs, each featuring ten new courses and three characters, were released for Mario Kart NX. Players could purchase a pass that allowed them to download the first two packs at a discounted price once they became available, then again as the second two were revealed. Once all four packs were released, players could also purchase all four packs with a single pass for a discount. Cups released through DLC include both new and returning courses. Because of this, they are labelled as part of the Super Circuit, and not either of the Nitro or Retro Circuits. Pre-purchasing the first DLC pass or both of the first two DLC packs as they released granted players instant access to new colours for Toad; while pre-purchasing the second two DLC packs granted instant access to the Luma character and several new colours for it. Vehicle Parts |} Vehicle Parts |} Vehicle Parts |} Vehicle Parts |} amiibo Compatibility Like in Mario Kart 8, Mario Kart NX features the ability to unlock various costumes for the Mii characters to wear during a race. Unlike in Mario Kart 8, these costumes are not simple racing suits, but actual costumes based on various characters. As of the 2.0.0 update, scanning certain amiibo on the character select screen allows the player to play as alternate versions of characters. amiibo must be scanned every time the game is started, however. Even though these characters are treated as alternate costumes, several have different voice clips and different animations Compatible amiibo While all amiibo are compatible with the game, those of characters not listed below will instead unlock a generic racing suit patterned with the amiibo logo. Trivia *Goro Abe, one of the game's directors, insisted on the inclusion of Ashley as a playable character in the game as a reference to his past work on the WarioWare series. *All characters from Mario Kart 8 use near-identical models with updated textures. The reason for this was stated to be so they could focus more on adding in more diverse characters, a common complaint of its prequel. **Baby Rosalina was cut to lower the amount of baby characters, as a common criticism of Mario Kart 8's roster was the abundance of baby characters. Category:Nintendo Switch Games Category:Mario kart series